If you’ve been following the custom card art community, you might have heard about the recent cease-and-desist letter sent by Piggybanx to another artist. The account in question, Piggyspanx, started as a parody side project in late November. Despite being a small, newly created account, it quickly gained traction.
For those who saw Piggyspanx before it was taken down, the account featured a humorous twist on Piggybanx’s aesthetic. One notable detail was the use of a track titled Polished Turd, setting the tone for the satire. The parody drew inspiration from Piggybanx’s signature template—a mix of road construction signs and graphic demo labels—but with several notable modifications.
For example:
* The "GOOD2" label was reimagined as "POOP," satirizing the idea that with a slabbed card and a flashy label, anything can become collectible.
* The "NOT FOR RESALE" text was altered to "FLPitORfckit/FCKitORflpit," humorously suggesting that card ownership allows for anything—“flip it or f*** it, your call.”
* The top label text became "NOT INFRINGEMENT," poking fun at the legal gray area many custom card artists operate within regarding intellectual property.
* The "1 of 1" designation was changed to "1 of 1 of many," highlighting the abundance of variations in Piggybanx’s catalog, which likely exceeds 20 by now (a conservative estimate).
Even the Piggybanx logo was transformed. While their original design features a paddle on two pig cheeks, the parody logo became a whimsical floating eyeball with a tail, reminiscent of Pokémon-inspired designs. This new logo was intended to anchor a larger story I had planned to build around it.
It’s worth noting that the parody wasn’t created to profit from Piggybanx’s designs. My work featured distinct elements, including the revamped logo, altered labels, and a satirical tone that leaned into humor and commentary rather than replication. One exception was the Virtual Insanity card—a nod to what I imagined Ash might be doing instead of battling Pokémon, styled with Game Boy-era graphics and clever rhyming associations.
However, since Piggybanx had blocked my Kardyewest account, I launched Piggyspanx under a new name to ensure they could see the project. The goal wasn’t to attack or compete with Piggybanx, but rather to show that creativity could flourish elsewhere while also sparking conversations about broader issues in the custom card community.
Unfortunately, Instagram removed the Piggyspanx account, and the designs are no longer accessible. This project was always intended as parody and community commentary, not as a direct challenge or attack. Even the dollar sign in the "S" of Piggyspanx was just a playful, symmetrical design choice